


No Comfort in the Bottle

by completelyhopeless



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, everything with may is about bahrain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-30
Updated: 2014-11-30
Packaged: 2018-02-27 12:12:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2692517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/completelyhopeless/pseuds/completelyhopeless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>May drinks. Coulson intervenes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Comfort in the Bottle

**Author's Note:**

  * For [storiesfortravellers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesfortravellers/gifts).



> For the prompt: _[Agents of SHIELD, Skye/Melinda or Melinda/Coulson or Fitz/Simmons/Anyone, drinks after a long day](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/562105.html?thread=79135417#t79135417)_
> 
> I went for Melinda/Coulson and the long day ended up in another thing about Bahrain, but I really liked the last line, so I'm keeping it.
> 
> Also, short stories like this are very hard to name and summarize. I need to stop writing them.

* * *

“I don't recommend this as a habit to get into.”

May snorted. “Like you would ever go so far as to become an alcoholic, Coulson. You won't end up like that. It would mess up your paperwork.”

“I know that is your glass talking, not you,” Phil said as he sat down next to her. He hadn't wanted to do this, didn't want to seek her out, had tried to give her space and what he thought she needed, but she was crumbling in front of him and he couldn't find a way to stop it, a way to get his friend back.

She lifted up the glass, letting the whiskey slosh from side to side. “I can't stop seeing it. All the blood. All the death. All I did.”

“May,” Phil said, but the words did not come. How could he tell her it would be all right when it wouldn't? How could he take away a pain that deep in her soul? He didn't know how to fix the wound or make the memories fade. She had to live with them, and that wouldn't change. “Melinda.”

She tried to smile. “Couple months ago, I would have hurt you for using that name. Now... Now I just want you to promise me you'll never call me the Calvary.”

“Never,” he agreed. He moved his arm around her, being careful in case she decided to snap it away from her for daring to think he could comfort her like that.

She didn't. She let it happen, and he held her through tears that never came.


End file.
